PlayStation Vita will be region-free, Sony Computer Entertainment has confirmed.

Shuhei Yoshida, president of Worldwide Studios, broke the news when responding to a fan question on his personal Twitter page.

Vita is scheduled for release in Japan in December, priced at $390 (£247) for the 3G model or $325 (£205) for wi-fi only. Customers in other territories will be able to import the device and encounter no software compatibility issues.